Laptops

Whats up playground? i havent been active on the forums for a few weeks mainly because my computer is such a piece of crap. that brings me to my question. i am in the market for a laptop but i really dont know shit about them. i have an old toshiba from 2004 so reality is anything will be better than what i got but i dont want to buy a piece of junk.

whats some things or brands i should look for? any info would help, i just have no idea where to start. it doesnt need to be some super high performance machine. my budget is no more than $600. i just want to watch youtube, use the PG, browse the net, etc. i dont game or anything like that. im not partial to any brand, and i dont need some latest and greatest thing. if anybody has some tips on what to look for it would be a huge help. THANKS

ROCK ON PLAYGROUND

Bubbles

7/18/12 9:21:16PM

I have a 17.3" Acer Aspire that I got last summer. Keyboard takes a little bit to get used to but overall I haven't had any problems with it. It was a couple hundred $ cheaper than the HP that was basically the same thing. A few of the guys at Best Buy (I made sure to ask different staff + geek squad) have said that Acer really upped their product line lately. They used to carry a bad reputation but now are much better.

I don't game either and I use it for everything you want it for. I think this came to around $600 (it was on sale), but if you are only getting a 15.4" then it should come to around your budget.

I used to own an HP laptop for 4 years before the motherboard crashed (apparently a common problem with that model, though it usually happens within the first 2 years...no longer a problem with new models) and that was a nice laptop where I didn't come across any problems. HP is always among the better brands out there, but they could cost a bit more.

That's about all I can contribute as I am pretty computer illiterate lol

kopower

7/18/12 10:03:00PM

For $450 a few months back, I bought a Lenovo 17" laptop. It has a HD screen, Blu ray player, bluetooth, USB 3, a few hdmi ports, an i5 processor, 750 GB hard drive, and Windows 7.

It took me awhile to get used to the bigger laptop, coming from a 15.6". It's not the most portable, but I use it as my main computer. I've been happy with the performance so far, and Lenovo is a solid brand. You might want to run into a few electronic stores and get your hands on a few to see which you like best though.

LuckyCharms

7/18/12 10:14:55PM

I know you said around $600 but I wanted to say this.

I have a Mac laptop for about 3-4 years now,never had a problem beside the motherboard crash(Took it to an apple store fixed it within an hour ). Since then I love the Mac it's still fast the day I bought it. Apple sends new updates for my computer to kept running smoothly. I've notice from PC's that you buy them and then within a year they start slowing down . Only downside is that you can't use Microsoft programs, like word, powerpoint and exel. Other then that Mac are awesome.

So if you want a Laptop that can last you a long time save up and get a Mac.

Btw the Mac I brought was an Black Mac that cost about $1400 but It was wroth price instead buying a new laptop every year.

grappler0000

7/18/12 10:16:39PM

Brass Tacks: Buy an Asus.

Best quality for your dollar by far. The best part is that Best Buy has been carrying them for a couple of years. Very easy to buy for most. Before building PC's, they had been building computer components for years. Their components were already in laptops before they decided to build their own. They have an advantage over the entire industry by being able to build their laptop from the ground up. They also have the longest laptop lifespan in the industry (HP being the worst, Apple being #4). And you'll pay less than you would for the competition as the cherry on top. You can easily get a solid machine for under $600.

They also make a solid line of tablet PC's, if you were looking for something more conveniently portable.

scoozna

7/19/12 4:41:01PM

Don't spend more than $500 for a laptop for the way you described your usage. I have a Dell Vostro that's a few years old now and I only spent $499 at the time. I'm on my second Dell (actually my desktop is now my kids' computer and it's real old)

Like Grappler said, ASUS is a good value too - i have an Asus netbook that only cost $300 - great battery life, small, lightweight. Not a singe problem.

I just bought a HP laptop for $429 at Frys. I think the screen is 16 inches but not real sure. It works good, haven't had any problems so far. Plus, I got the VGA cord with audio to hook up to the HDTV so I guess I have a 46" screen

airkerma

8/13/12 9:33:25AM

I like my toshiba. It's a little glitchy here and there, and it overheats (but that could be because I dumped pasta with meat sauce all over it) but overall it has lasted and performed fine. I can say with certainty not to get a compaq, my motherboard went out in about 1 year.

gartface

8/13/12 10:02:31AM

I rock a homemade desktop at home, but for work I was given a Samsung i5 laptop and it's super solid. I believe it was around or under $500 too. They make really high quality products from my experience, as does ASUS, as Grappler said.

FlashyG

8/13/12 10:49:11AM

Posted by ron

Hello I want to get a laptop for gaming purpose. I have so much interest in Macbook Air 13”2012 model. So what’s all you are think that Macbook Air is sufficient for daily uses of online gaming, internet browsing,facebook, music and movies for minimum 3-4 years?

Mac's are getting better for gaming but if you want to play games you should probably be looking into Windows based machines.

I'm not sure what the exact numbers are but likely less than 25% of games out there will run on a Mac without running extra software and installing a copy of Windows along with your Mac OS.

Svartorm

8/14/12 11:40:30AM

My laptop is an HP that was $500. I don't know if you actually type, but the most important thing for me is that the keyboard is at least close to actual keyboard size. If you actually type, you'll drive yourself crazy with those smaller keyboards. Otherwise, they don't make a laptop that can't do what you want it to, so grab something that's comfortable to use and you're golden.